Method and apparatus for supporting stacks of signatures



H. W. FAEBER Dgc, 8, 1964 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING STACKS OFSIGNATURES Filed Jan. 31. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HARRY W.FAEBER his A TTORNE YS Dec. 8, 1964 H. w. FAEBER 3, 60 3 METHOD ANDAPPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING STACKS 0F SIGNATURES Filed Jan. 31, 1961 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HARRY W. FAEBER M Fm, W

his ATTORNEYS 3,160,413 METHOD AND APPARATUS F032 SUPPGRTING STACKS FSIGNATURES Harry W. Faeber, Larclnnont, N.Y., assignor to Time,Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 31,1961, Ser. No. 86,1% 14 Cls. (ill. 27186) In order to facilitatesubsequent handling operations, it

is desirable that such stacks or piles be rigid and have substantiallylevel top surfaces. Generally, however, the the top surface of a stackof signatures is not level, but is curved. That is, because the leavesof the signature United States Patent 0 near the folded edge do not liefiat against each other, I

but tend to separate, the side of the stack that is composed of thefolded signature edges is normally curled upward. This results in a lossof rigidity in the 'stackpand also prevents the effective piling ofcompleted stacks of signatures, one on top of the other, to save space.

One way of compensating for this curling effect is to provide mechanismfor specially stacking signatures one on top of the other so that thefolded signature edges are alternated between opposite sides of thestack. This, however, generally requires elaborate, complex, expensive,and cumbersome machinery. Also, it is impractical if the stackedsignatures are to be handled at a later stage by automatic machinery,for example, collating apparatus.

In view of the above, it is an importantobject of the present inventionto support signatures during the formation of a typical stack in suchfashion as to impart rigidity to the stack and to remove almost entirelythe curl in the top surface thereof resulting from the appreciablythicker folded portions of the component signatures.

This important object is fulfilled in the present invention by, first,providing a greater space than that which is usually allocated to buildthe folded portion of a stack and, second, by arching the signatures,i.e., by bending the signatures so that their folded edges are curveddownward, thus to crease the folded edges more sharply and to counteractthe tendency to curl upwards. This is accomplished in an illustrativeembodiment of the invention by providing a supporting platform for astack of signatures during its formation that utilizes a sloping andarched surface. To elaborate, the supporting platform slopes downwardly,and the stack is built thereon so that the folded edges of thesignatures are positioned directly above the lowermost portion of thesloping platform. By allowing the side of the stack that consists of thefolded signature edges to occupy a greater space than that occupied bythe opposite side, the, tendency to curl is not aggravated.

Besides being sloped, however, the supporting platform is also arched.Viewing the platform so as to look toward the side of the stackconsisting of the folded signature edges, the platform resembles aportion of a side of an ellipse. Generally the platform may be said toresemble a C rotated through 90 degrees, thus to position its openportion to face downward. in this fashion, the lowermost signatures ofthe stack are not supported by a plane surface but, rather, are allowedto drape so that the folds are broken and an arched signature .to thestack, and the tendency for the folded portions of the signatures tocurl upward is eliminated. Thus, a rigid stack of signatures having asubstantially level top sur face is produced. v g

When the signatures are transferred in stacked 'relation from thesupporting structure described above to a level supporting platform, thetop of the stack generally remains level, retaining the slight arch toprovide rigidity, even though the bottom of the stack no longer issupported by the sloping, arched platform; Accordingly, the uniquemolding of the signature stack during the stacking process, as describedabove, results in the formation of astack of signatures that'is bothstable and substantially level on top. Furthermore, this is accomplishedwithout the use of complex, expensive, and cumbersome equipment.Although the invention has been described above:in general terms, abetter understanding of it may be obtained by consulting the followingdetailed description when taken in conjunction with the appendeddrawings, in which: 7 1

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of thisinvention shown in conjunction with typical signature conveyingequipment; Y

FIGURE 2 is an end view of a portion of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;and t FIGURE 3 is a side view of the structure shown in FIGURE 2. 7

Referring now to FIGURE 1, a series of signatures 11 in overlapped orshingled fashion, with their folded edges lying forward in the directionof travel shown by the arrow, are conveyed on a conveyor terminating ina pair of belts 12a and 12b. The belts, whose movement is controlled bya powered driving source (not shown), convey the shingled signaturesover a pair of guide plates 13:: and 13b. The guide plates, whose tipportions 14a and 14b are bent downward, together with a pair of guidefingers 15a and 15b, tend .to arch the signatures as they are deposited.upon a platform 16 by the action of the belts and a pair of drivingwheels 17a and 17b. Rollers may be used at the ends of guides 15a and15b and guide plates 14a and 14b to reduce friction.

that are inclined and which together provide an arched support for thesignatures. The details of the supporting fingers are shown in FIGURESZand 3.

Referring to FIGURE 3, it may be seen that each of the fingers isinclined to a substantial degree. By so sloping the fingers, the side ofthe stack of signatures consisting of the folded signature edges thatare positioned over the lowermost ends of the fingers is allowed agreater height in which to be built than the opposite side. Thus, thethicker folded signature edges are accounted and compensated for, andthe stack remains substantialiy fia't on top as it is built up.

FIGURE 2, an end view of the fingers 18, shows how the fingersalso'provide an arched support for the stack of signatures, thus tobreak the folded signature edges and to drape the signatures so that anarch is built therein that adds rigidity to the stack. As may be seen,the lowermost ends of all the fingers define a first arched curve 19,whereas the uppermost ends of the fingers define a second arched curve20 of less curvature than curve 19. In this fashion, the foldedsignature edges, which are placed 7 is built so that the correct archwill be provided therein. Returning to FIGURE 1, the supporting fingers18 are' 3 enclosed by a series'o'f guide bars 21 which contain and shapethe sides of the stack of signatures. The guide bars may be adapted forlateral movement by suitable means coupled thereto. (not shown) in orderto of signatures to form a well aligned stack.

The fingers 18 are conveniently mounted on a series of vertical supports22 that are in turn attached to a horizontal plate 23. The up and downmovement of plate 23,

imparting vertical movement to the support fingers 18 as,

the stack of signatures is built thereon, is controlled by the movementof a piston 24 which is part of an air cylinder 25. The horizontalmovement of the piston, as shown by the arrow, is translated intovertical movement of the plate 23 by a series of arms 26, 27, and 28that are journaled about the shafts 29, 30,.and 31, respectively. Thevertical movement of the plate 23 and of the vertical supports 22attached thereto is guided by a pair of vertical rods 32 (only one ofwhich is shown), each of which is embraced by a pair of lower rollers 33and 34 attached to plate 23 and a similar pair of rollers attached tothe upper portion of vertical support 22 (not shown).

jog the stack.

. 4 I upper horizontal plane, said second pair of fingers have upperdisposed ends that lie in a second upper horizontal plane below saidfirstupper horizontal plane, and the distance between said first andsecond lower horizontal planes is greater than the distance between saidfirst and second upper horizontal planes.

' the stack being of such a size normally resulting in a As the stack ofsignatures is built upon the support fingers, the fingers are lowereduntil the stack is completed thereon. Transfer of the stack is made to aseries of conveyorbelts 35 by a further lowering of the support fingersso that they pass .through the belts. The completed stack of signatures36, although transferred to a flat surface thatis neither sloping norarched, nonetheless contains a slight arch 37 that imparts rigidity tothe stack. Further, because of the manner in which the stack ,wasformed, the stack is not only stable, but is substantially level on'itstop surface; thereby facilitating further operations such as compactingand later stacking of completed stacks of signatures one on top ofanother.

When the signature stream approaches with open end leading, theconfiguration of the support fingers is reversed by installing them in aposition rotated from that shown in FIGURE 1 by 180 about a verticalaxis.

From the description of the invention given above, it is apparent thatnumerous substitutions, additions, and rearrangements of the preferredembodiment shown may be made by those skilled in the art. Such changesshould curling of the top; surface of the stack, comprising a platformupon which said stack is positioned, the shape of said platform beingsuch that substantially each point along a first edge of said platformlies at a level that is lower than the level at which each oppositepoint on an opposite edge lies, the difference in levels between any twoopposite points increasing for points on the first edge from themid-portion of said first edge 'to each end thereof. I

5. Apparatus for the support of a stack of folded sheets, the stackbeing of such a size normally resulting in a' curling of the top surfaceof the stack, comprising a platform upon which said stack is positioned,the

- shape of said platform being such that it is inclined downwardly andarched downwardly substantially transversely to said inclination.

6. Apparatus as recited in claim 5 in which said arched platform isdefined by a first arched curve at the bottom of said incline and asecond arched curve at the top of said incline, said first arched curvehaving'greater curvature than said second arched curve.

7. The method of supporting a stack of folded sheets comprisingsupporting substantially the entire bottom surface of the lowermostsheet of said stack in inclined and l draped fashion so that, first, allpoints on the folded edge be deemed to be within the scope of thefollowing claims which define this invention.

I claim: 7

1. In apparatus for the handling of folded' sh'eets of paper, a platformfor supporting said sheets comprising a series of parallel displacedfingers, each of said' fingers being inclined with respect to ahorizontal plane, all of the lower disposed ends 'of said fingerstogether forming a pattern corresponding substantially to a portion ofthe side' of a first ellipse when said lower disposed ends are viewed ina direction substantially perpendicular thereto, 7

first pair and a second pair of fingers, said first pair of fingerslying adjacent to each other and havinglower disposed ends that lie in-afirst lower'horizontal plane, said second pair of fingers having lowerdisposed ends that lie in a second lower horizontal plane below saidfirst horizontal plane, each of said fingers comprising said second ipair lying adjacent to a different one of said fingers comprising saidfirst pair, the distance between said fingers of said second pair beinggreater than the distance between said fingersof said first pair.

3. Apparatus as recited in claim 2 in which said first pair of fingershave upper disposed ends that lie in a first .of said lowermost sheetare supported at levels lower than'the levels at which the pointsopposite ,on the unfolded edge are supported, and so that, second, saidlowermost sheet is draped while being supported to bend said folded edgedownward with respect to said stack built thereon and to provide a rigidarch in said stack.

8. The method of forming a stack of folded sheets of paper comprisingthe steps of supporting substantially the entire bottom surface of afirst'sheet so that it comprises an arched surface, said-arched surfacebeing such that the mid-portion of the folded edge of said first sheetis supported at a first level and succeeding points along said foldededge from said mid-portion to an adjacent edge of said first sheet aresupported-at succeedingly lower levels, and stacking succeeding sheetson top of said first sheet with the folded edges of said succeedingsheets and said first sheet aligned substantially perpendicularly whilecontinuing to support said first sheet.

9. The method of forming a stack of folded sheets of paper comprisingthe steps of supporting a first sheet at an inclined angle with ahorizontal reference plane, the folded edge of said first sheet beingpositioned so that points thereon are lower than the points opposite onthe unfolded edge of said sheet, supporting the mid-portion of saidfolded edge of said first sheet at a first level, supporting succeedingpoints along saidfolded edge from said midportion to an adjacent edge ofsaid first sheet at succeedingly lower levels than said first-level, andstacking'succeeding sheets one on top of the other on top of said firstsheet so that-the folded edges of said succeeding sheets and said firstsheet are aligned substantially perpendicularly.- 1 1 10. In apparatusfor stacking folded sheets of paper utilizing delivery means forejectingsaid sheets-one by one from a conveyor system. to aplatformpositioned below said'conveyor system, means for facilitating saidstacking comprising plate means positioned adjacent said conveyor systemin contacting arrangement with said sheets for bending" said sheetsdownwardly to assume an arched shape prior to ejection upon saidplatform, whereby said arched sheets counteract the tendency of saidsheets to curl upward, and a stack-supporting platform surface that isinclined downwardly and arched downwardly substantially transversely tosaid inclination.

11. In combination with apparatus as recited in claim 10, finger meanspositioned adjacent said plate means for exerting pressure on the edgesof said ejected sheets thereby to continue to arch said sheetsdownwardly.

12. In an apparatus for handling a stack of folded signatures havingtheir folded edges one above the other, a platform on which thesignatures are stacked to avoid upward curling of the folded edges, theupper surface of said platform being sloped downwardly from the portionwhich supports the open ends of the signatures toward the portion whichsupports the folded edges thereof, said downward slope compensating forthe increased thickness of the folded edges of the stack, the lower endof the downwardly sloped platform surface being, in turn, higher at thecenter and sloping downwardly on both sides of the center so that thefolded edge of the lowermost signature in the stack will be supported inan inclined position with the folded edge below the open ends and withthe folded edge arched higher at the center and draping downwardly onboth sides of the center, the signatures higher in the stackprogressivelyapproaching a level condition.

13. The apparatus set forth in claim 12 including means for feeding thesignatures seriatim, folded edges first, to

the platform so as to progressively build up the stack on the platformsurface, and deflector means interposed in the path of travel of thesignatures to the platform to arch the leading folded edge by deflectingthe leading folded edges downwardly at both ends before the signature isstacked.

14. The apparatus set forth in claim 12 in which the platform comprisesa plurality of spaced-apart elements mounted on a common support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS734,058 Bennett et a1 July 21, 1903 1,147,482 Cheshire July 20, 19151,685,799 Baker Oct. -2, 1928 1,750,396 Evans et a1 Mar. 11, 19302,147,964 Cherymisin Feb. 21, 1939 2,279,269 Tornberg Apr. 7, 19422,359,417 Hand Oct. 3, 1944 2,426,957 Trump Sept. 2, 1947 2,645,476 Woodet al. July 14, 1953 2,770,192 Mitchell et al. Nov. '13, 2,885,205Sillen May 5, 1959 2,989,305 Smith June 20, 1961 2,991,075 Wheeler etal. July 4, 1961

5. APPARATUS FOR THE SUPPORT OF A STACK OF FOLDED SHEETS, THE STACKBEING OF SUCH A SIZE NORMALLY RESULTING IN A CURLING OF THE TOP SURFACEOF THE STACK, COMPRISING A PLATFORM UPON WHICH SAID STACK IS POSITIONED,THE SHAPE OF SAID PLATFORM BEING SUCH THAT IT IS INCLINED DOWNWARDLY ANDARCHED DOWNWARDLY SUBSTANTIALLY TRANSVERSELY TO SAID INCLINATION.